Distributed game environment

Abstract

A broadcast technique in which a broadcast channel overlays a point-to-point communications network is provided. The broadcasting of a message over the broadcast channel is effectively a multicast to those computers of the network that are currently connected to the broadcast channel. In one embodiment, the broadcast technique provides a logical broadcast channel to which host computers through their executing processes can be connected. Each computer that is connected to the broadcast channel can broadcast messages onto and receive messages off of the broadcast channel. Each computer that is connected to the broadcast channel receives all messages that are broadcast while it is connected. The logical broadcast channel is implemented using an underlying network system (e.g., the Internet) that allows each computer connected to the underlying network system to send messages to each other connected computer using each computer's address. Thus, the broadcast technique effectively provides a broadcast channel using an underlying network system that sends messages on a point-to-point basis.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A computer network for providing a game environment for a plurality of participants, each participant having connections to at least three neighbor participants, wherein an originating participant sends data to the other participants by sending the data through each of its connections to its neighbor participants and wherein each participant sends data that it receives from a neighbor participant to its other neighbor participants, further wherein the network is m-regular, where m is the exact number of neighbor participants of each participant and further wherein the number of participants is at least two greater than m thus resulting in a non-complete graph. 
     
     
       2. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein each participant is connected to 4 other participants. 
     
     
       3. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein each participant is connected to an even number of other participants. 
     
     
       4. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein the network is m-connected, where m is the number of neighbor participants of each participant. 
     
     
       5. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein the network is m-regular and m-connected, where m is the number of neighbor participants of each participant. 
     
     
       6. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein all the participants are peers. 
     
     
       7. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein the connections are peer-to-peer connections. 
     
     
       8. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein the connections are TCP/IP connections. 
     
     
       9. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein each participant is a process executing on a computer. 
     
     
       10. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein a computer hosts more than one participant. 
     
     
       11. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein each participant sends to each of its neighbors only one copy of the data. 
     
     
       12. The computer network of  claim 1  wherein the interconnections of participants form a broadcast channel for a game of interest. 
     
     
       13. A distributed game system comprising: 
       a plurality of broadcast channels, each broadcast channel for playing a game, each of the broadcast channels for providing game information related to said game to a plurality of participants, each participant having connections to at least three neighbor participants, wherein an originating participant sends data to the other participants by sending the data through each of its connections to its neighbor participants and wherein each participant sends data that it receives from a neighbor participant to its neighbor participants, further wherein the network is m-regular, where m is the exact number of neighbor participants of each participant and further wherein the number of participants is at least two greater than m thus resulting in a non-complete graph;  
       means for identifying a broadcast channel for a game of interest; and  
       means for connecting to the identified broadcast channel.  
     
     
       14. The distributed game system of  claim 13  wherein means for identifying a game of interest includes accessing a web server that maps games to corresponding broadcast channel. 
     
     
       15. The distributed game system of  claim 13  wherein a broadcast channel is formed by player computers that are each interconnected to at least three other computers. 
     
     
       16. A computer network for providing a game environment for a plurality of participants, each participant having connections to exactly four neighbor participants, wherein an originating participant sends data to the other participants by sending the data through each of its connections to its neighbor participants and wherein each participant sends data that it receives from a neighbor participant to its neighbor participants, further wherein the network is in a stable 4-regular state and wherein there are at least six participants to result in a non-complete graph. 
     
     
       17. The computer network of  claim 16  wherein a computer hosts more than one participant. 
     
     
       18. A computer network for providing a game environment for a plurality of participants, each participant having connections to at least three neighbor participants, wherein an originating participant sends data to the other participants by sending the data through each of its connections to its neighbor participants and wherein each participant sends data that it receives from a neighbor participant to its other neighbor participants, further wherein the network is m-regular and the network forms an incomplete graph. 
     
     
       19. The computer network of  claim 18  wherein a computer hosts more than one participant.